Detection of surface particles on chamber components with carbon dioxide

Abstract

A distribution unit of a particle detection system initiates a particle collection process to dislodge one or more surface particles from a surface of an article based on a stream including at least one of solid CO 2 particles or CO 2 droplets. The dislodged surface particles are collected on a surface of a substrate having a pre-determined initial state including initial surface particles of the substrate. A measurement indicating a particle number concentration of detectable surface particles on the substrate after the particle collection process is completed is obtained. An initial particle number concentration of the initial surface particles of the pre-determined initial state is identified. A number of particles transported away from the surface of the article is determined based on the obtained measurement and the identified initial particle concentration.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 causing, by a processing device associated with a particle detection system:
 a distribution unit of the particle detection system to initiate a particle collection process to dislodge one or more surface particles from a surface of an article based on a stream comprising at least one of solid carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) particles or CO 2  droplets directed toward the article, and 
 the one or more dislodged surface particles to be collected on a surface of a substrate, wherein the substrate has a pre-determined initial state comprising initial surface particles on the surface of the substrate; 
 
 obtaining, by the processing device, a measurement indicating a particle number concentration of one or more detectable surface particles on the substrate after the particle collection process is completed; 
 identifying, by the processing device, an initial particle number concentration of the initial surface particles of the pre-determined initial state; and 
 determining, by the processing device, a number of particles transported away from the surface of the article based on the obtained measurement and the identified initial particle concentration. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, or a particle size distribution of the particles transported away from the surface of the article. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining the at least one of the size, the morphology, the chemical composition, or the particle size distribution of the particles transported away from the surface of the article comprises:
 determining at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, a particle number concentration, or a particle size distribution of all detectable surface particles on the substrate; and 
 subtracting out at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, a particle number concentration, or a particle size distribution of the initial surface particles included in the pre-determined initial state, 
 wherein a remainder of at least one of the size, the morphology, the chemical composition, or the particle size distribution of all detectable surface particles on the substrate represents data for the one or more surface particles that were dislodged from the surface of the article and collected on the surface of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to causing the distribution unit of the particle detection system to initiate the particle collection process, initiating a measurement process to measure the initial particle number concentration of the initial surface particles of the pre-determined initial state; and 
 storing the initial particle number concentration at a memory associated with the processing device. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the number of particles transported away from the surface of the article comprises:
 determining a difference between the particle number concentration of the obtained measurement and the identified initial particle number concentration, wherein the number of particles transported away from the surface of the article corresponds to the determined difference. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the article is associated with a set of operations and wherein one or more initial operations of the set of operations have been performed with respect to the article, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining whether one or more particle concentration criteria are satisfied based on the determined number of particles transported away from the surface of the article; and 
 upon determining that the one or more particle concentration criteria are satisfied, executing one or more subsequent operations of the set of operations. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 upon determining that the one or more particle concentration criteria are not satisfied, 
 causing the distribution unit to re-initiate the particle collection process to dislodge one or more additional surface particles from the surface of the article based on the stream. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing one or more particle charge neutralizers to reduce a charge of the one or more surface particles dislodged from the surface of the article. 
 
     
     
       9. A system comprising:
 a memory; and 
 a processing device coupled to the memory, wherein the processing device is to:
 cause:
 a distribution unit of a particle detection system to initiate a particle collection process to dislodge one or more surface particles from a surface of an article based on a stream comprising at least one of solid CO 2  particles or CO 2  droplets directed toward the article, and 
 the one or more dislodged surface particles to be collected on a surface of a substrate, wherein the substrate has a pre-determined initial state comprising initial surface particles on the surface of the substrate; 
 
 obtain a measurement indicating a particle number concentration of one or more detectable surface particles on the substrate after the particle collection process is completed; 
 identify an initial particle number concentration of the initial surface particles of the pre-determined initial state; and 
 determine a number of particles transported away from the surface of the article based on the obtained measurement and the identified initial particle concentration. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the processing device is further to:
 determine at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, or a particle size distribution of the particles transported away from the surface of the article. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein to determine the at least one of the size, the morphology, the chemical composition, or the particle size distribution of the particles transported away from the surface of the article, the processing device is to:
 determine at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, a particle number concentration, or a particle size distribution of all detectable surface particles on the substrate; and 
 subtract out at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, a particle number concentration, or a particle size distribution of the initial surface particles included in the pre-determined initial state, 
 wherein a remainder of at least one of the size, the morphology, the chemical composition, or the particle size distribution of all detectable surface particles on the substrate represents data for the one or more surface particles that were dislodged from the surface of the article and collected on the surface of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the processing device is further to:
 prior to causing the distribution unit of the particle detection system to initiate the particle collection process, initiate a measurement process to measure the initial particle number concentration of the initial surface particles of the pre-determined initial state; and 
 store the initial particle number concentration at the memory. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 9 , wherein to determine the number of particles transported away from the surface of the article, the processing device is to:
 determine a difference between the particle number concentration of the obtained measurement and the identified initial particle number concentration, wherein the number of particles transported away from the surface of the article corresponds to the determined difference. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the article is associated with a set of operations and wherein one or more initial operations of the set of operations have been performed with respect to the article, and wherein the processing device is further to:
 determine whether one or more particle concentration criteria are satisfied based on the determined number of particles transported away from the surface of the article; and 
 upon determining that the one or more particle concentration criteria are satisfied, execute one or more subsequent operations of the set of operations. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processing device is further to:
 upon determining that the one or more particle concentration criteria are not satisfied, cause the distribution unit to re-initiate the particle collection process to dislodge one or more additional surface particles from the surface of the article based on the stream. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the processing device is further to:
 cause one or more particle charge neutralizers to reduce a charge of the one or more surface particles dislodged from the surface of the article. 
 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:
 cause:
 a distribution unit of a particle detection system to initiate a particle collection process to dislodge one or more surface particles from a surface of an article based on a stream comprising at least one of solid CO 2  particles or CO 2  droplets directed toward the article, and 
 the one or more dislodged surface particles to be collected on a surface of a substrate, wherein the substrate has a pre-determined initial state comprising initial surface particles on the surface of the substrate; 
 
 obtain a measurement indicating a particle number concentration of one or more detectable surface particles on the substrate after the particle collection process is completed; 
 identify an initial particle number concentration of the initial surface particles of the pre-determined initial state; and 
 determine a number of particles transported away from the surface of the article based on the obtained measurement and the identified initial particle concentration. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the processing device is further to:
 determine at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, or a particle size distribution of the particles transported away from the surface of the article. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein to determine the at least one of the size, the morphology, the chemical composition, or the particle size distribution of the particles transported away from the surface of the article, the processing device is to:
 determine at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, a particle number concentration, or a particle size distribution of all detectable surface particles on the substrate; and 
 subtract out at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, a particle number concentration, or a particle size distribution of the initial surface particles included in the pre-determined initial state, 
 wherein a remainder of at least one of the size, the morphology, the chemical composition, or the particle size distribution of all detectable surface particles on the substrate represents data for the one or more surface particles that were dislodged from the surface of the article and collected on the surface of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the processing device is further to:
 prior to causing the distribution unit of the particle detection system to initiate the particle collection process, initiating a measurement process to measure the initial particle number concentration of the initial surface particles of the pre-determined initial state; and 
 storing the initial particle number concentration at a memory.